After roughly understanding the cause of the incident, Xu Bai did not rush to make a fuss. Instead, he first informed the Tianliang Prefecture Garrison to temporarily seal off Wuliang Mountain and detain Fu Xingchi and his two companions. He then held his position and patiently awaited the return of Tianliang City Lord, Nangong Shirong.
Since Nangong had specifically instructed him before leaving, as a subordinate, it was his duty to comply.
Moreover…
For years, the Boundless Wall had been swallowing cultivators, causing numerous disappearances. Strictly speaking, Li Fan, could not be entirely absolved of responsibility.
After all, before becoming the City Lord of Tianliang, Nangong Shirong had served as the commander of the Tianliang Prefecture Garrison. For such a significant matter to have occurred within his jurisdiction without his awareness…
If someone were to accuse him, no matter what, he would undoubtedly be charged with dereliction of duty. Nangong Shirong had not been in office for long, and his foundation was still unstable. His rise to power had been built upon stepping over Xiang Rongxin, which had already earned him many enemies. If he were to make even a single misstep and reveal a weakness, it could incite a collective attack against him. In that case, before he could even settle into his position, he might be forced out.
As a trusted confidant, Xu Bai naturally had to share his lord’s burdens.
After secretly backing up records of the past disappearance cases, Xu Bai headed to the Bureau of Governance to receive Guan Xingshu, who had once again come to demand answers.
Unlike his previous life when Xu Bai had met him in Lanlin Prefecture, where he had appeared indifferent and lazy, Guan Xingshu now radiated an aura as sharp as an unsheathed sword, making no effort to conceal his edge.
“Any news on Changge’s whereabouts?” Guan Xingshu narrowed his eyes as he examined Xu Bai. His previously aggressive tone softened slightly.
“We have found some clues. I believe we will have an answer for you soon.” Xu Bai replied calmly, neither humble nor overbearing.
“With such inefficiency, had this been in Tianyu Prefecture, you would have been dismissed and investigated long ago.” Guan Xingshu snorted coldly.
Xu Bai lowered his head without responding.
“I’ll give you seven more days. If there is still no definitive result by then…”
A golden flying sword suddenly shot out and hovered above the Bureau of Governance.
“Don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Guan Xingshu’s voice turned icy as his figure gradually faded.
All that remained was the golden sword, exuding a chilling killing intent.
“The Falling Star Divine Sword…”
The sheer presence of its killing intent was so tangible that it pricked Xu Bai’s skin, forcing him to step back. Looking up at the golden flying sword, he seemed to witness a scene of the sword soaring through the sky, causing countless stars to fall.
He was no stranger to this sword.
In his previous life, when he and Huangfu Song traveled to Lanlin Province to establish the Tianxuan Spirit-Locking Formation, they had specifically invited Guan Xingshu’s Falling Star Divine Sword to suppress the defiant local cultivators. At the time, even though Guan Xingshu had already fallen to the Soul Transformation realm, with this golden sword, he had swept through all obstacles. Even Dao Integration cultivators had to avoid its edge.
This alone was enough to prove the extraordinary nature of the Falling Star Divine Sword.
Now, as Xu Bai gazed at the golden flying sword, he did not feel anger but rather focused on studying it carefully.
“This sword is no weaker than the elders of the Heavenly Sword Sect. No wonder Guan Changge holds such admiration for it.”
Feeling the sword’s unparalleled sharpness, carrying the intent to cleave all in its path, Xu Bai became fully immersed in its aura.
He was only brought back to reality by the furious yet apprehensive voice of Nangong Shirong.
“That old bastard! This is too much! If only I could defeat him…”
Xu Bai pretended not to hear the latter part of the complaint and cupped his hands.
“My lord, you have returned.”
“No wonder Old Guan was in such a hurry. As soon as Guan Changge got into trouble, he rushed over to hold someone accountable. So it turns out that Guan Changge is the son of his old lover.” Nangong Shirong waved his hand, signaling Xu Bai not to be overly formal. Then, he sat down heavily and said with a hint of schadenfreude.
“So, Guan Changge is Guan Xingshou’s illegitimate son?” Xu Bai suddenly realized.
However, Nangong Shirong’s next words caught him off guard: “No. There’s no actual blood relationship between them. It’s just the same old tragic love story—one of unfulfilled affections. Old Guan may appear ruthless and merciless, but deep down, he’s a hopeless romantic. Even though his old lover had long since married someone else, he never forgot her. He even extended his care to her son, treating him with deep concern.”
“If it weren’t for my visit to Lord Jicheng, I wouldn’t have known about this at all,” Nangong Shirong said with a half-smile.
Xu Bai simply listened quietly, his face showing no unusual expression. The banter between Dao Integration-level Immortal Sages was not something a small Nascent Soul cultivator like him could interfere in.
“Immortal Sage Jicheng, the Chief Marshal of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance’s Defense Division. In the previous era, he perished prematurely due to a curse after the great war with the Five Elders Association. Yet in this lifetime, he’s still alive and well, holding great power over the Defense Division. Judging from Nangong Shirong’s tone, his connection with Jicheng seems quite deep,” Xu Bai thought to himself.
“When that old bastard Guan Xingshou loses his temper, few people can stop him. Not even for Lord Jicheng’s sake. We need to get rid of him quickly. How’s the investigation into Guan Changge’s disappearance?” After muttering to himself for a while, Nangong Shirong finally asked.
Xu Bai then gave a detailed report on his findings regarding the past disappearances of cultivators in Tianliang Prefecture.
“The Boundless Wall?” Nangong Shirong’s eyes flashed with surprise as if something had come to mind.
“Besides you, who else knows about this?” he asked quickly.
“I have not spoken of it. I was waiting for your return,” Xu Bai responded decisively.
Nangong Shirong was very satisfied. “Good. The previous disappearances—just pretend they never happened. It was merely an isolated case! We can’t allow others to make baseless connections.”
“Next, you’ll come with me to the Boundless Wall. Let’s see if we can rescue that brat, Guan Changge,” Nangong Shirong commanded.
“I obey!”
Without gathering too many people, Nangong Shirong led only Xu Bai and three other trusted Nascent Soul cultivators to the foot of Wuliang Mountain.
At that moment, the smooth mountain surface showed no unusual images.
They did not get too close but observed from a distance.
“I came here once before, back when I was a Nascent Soul cultivator. I had quite the encounter at the time.”
Seeming to have fallen into old memories, Nangong Shirong’s gaze became dazed. After a long while, he spoke in a slow voice.
The other three Nascent Soul cultivators remained silent, but Xu Bai, with a trace of surprise in his voice, asked, “Could it be that, my lord, you once saw an anomaly on the Boundless Wall?”
Nangong Shirong chuckled. “Not just saw it—I was once trapped inside the Boundless Wall.”
“But I broke out quickly, so I thought it was just an illusion from my Dao enlightenment. Over the years, I never heard of anyone else experiencing the same thing, so I gradually forgot about it.”